Means for supporting electrodes in ionic tubes



F. P. DRIVER. MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRODES IN IONIC TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, I918.

1 ,335, 159. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

F. P. DRIVER.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRODES IN IONIC TUBES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1918.

3 SHEETS SHEET F. P. DRIVER.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRODES IN IONIC TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, I918.

1,335,159. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

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7/ l f V 1 a 74 I 20 2/ -/6 /9 HI 28 45 hn l. l 7 5 W l; km-MK Q QM 3% W A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK PERCY DRIVER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO OSRAM-ROBERTSON LAMP WORKS, LIMITED, OF BROOK GREEN, HAMMERSMITH, LONDON, ENGLAND..

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRODES IN IONIC TUBES.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK PERCY DRIVER, a subject of the King of. Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Means for Supporting Electrodes in Ionic Tubes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supporting electrodes in ionic tubes, more particularly when such tubes are used as transmitting or receiving valves in wireless tolegraphy. The invention is especially useful for ionic tubes adapted to dissipate impulses of high power, wherein a cathode constituted by a filament of metal. is surrounded by a substantially cylindrical anode formed of sheet metal, with a grid interposed between the anode and cathode so as to surround the latter, the grid being made of thin wire usually in the form either of a spiral coil, or of a series of straight wires extending substantially parallel to the oathode filament, or of a substantially cylindrical cage of wire gauze.

In constructions hitherto in use, great difiiculties have been encountered in insuring that the several supportingmembers were rigidly held and that the intervening insulation spaces were maintained uniformly of suiiicient width to withstand the very high voltages necessary, during the exhaustion of the bulb, in order that the ut-- most practicable vacuum might be attained. The method heretofore employed has been to seal or melt the supporting members into the glass, with the result that the attachment was very fragile and the glass liable to fracture more especially under the stresses set up by the expansion of the metal supporting-members when heated.

The present invention is directed to providing improved means of supporting the members or some of them, whereby the risks due to variations of temperature will be as far as possible eliminated; the improved construction being more especially applicable either to the support of the anode and grid from opposite ends of the bulbs respectively, or to the support of the anode alone from both ends of the bulb,

, which later arrangement the present invention is adapted to permit.

According to the invention, the outer ends of a set of longitudinally-extending Specification of Letters Patent. Patented hlal. 30, 1920. 7

Application filed may 22, 1918. Serial No. 235,951.

- attached preferably by riveting, to one or more metal clips adapted to firmly embrace a recntrant glass tubc which is sealed by its open outer end into the outer end of the corresponding neck of the bulb and closed at its inner end so as to constitute a hermetic closure for the bulb. Each clip comprises a band of thin sheet metal bent to conformto the cylindrical periphery of the glass tube, security of grip being preferably obtained by providing one end of the band with a tongue adapted to be passed through. a transverse slot in the opposite end of the band and folded back upon itself so as to prevent subsequent loosening of the clip by retraction of the tongue through the slot.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, which is a side elevation of one neck of an ionic tube with the adjacent portion of the bulb, shows a cylindrical anode supported from one end according to the present invention, the other members required to complete the structure of the tube as a whole being omitted. Fig. 2, which-is a side elevation of one neck of an ionic tube (which may be the same tube as that illustrated in Fig. 1) with the adjacent portion of the' bulb, shows a grid supported from one end according to the invention, the grid being formed by a spiral coil of thin wire wound about a group of straight parallel wires, while the other members re'ouired to complete the structure of the tube as a whole are omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation'of an ionic tube showing a cylindrical anode supported from both ends according to the invention, the other members required to complete ,the structure of the tube as a whole being omitted. Fig. i is a section on line 44 of Fig. 1 drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the metal clips already referred to, shown separately.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 4:, 5, and 6, it will be seen that to the cylindrical anode 11 are riveted the inner ends of a set of three longitudinall -extending carrier-bars 12, 13, 14 whereof the outer ends are riveted to a pair of metal clips 15, 16 placed side-by-side so as to be adapted to embrace a glass tube 17 which is closed at its ine'r end and sealed- 66 separated, as before, by an outward projecby its open outer end, at 18, into the outer lindrical periphery of therentrant glass tube 17 and is securely clasped about the latter by a ton e 21 at one end of the band being passed t rou h a transverse slot 22 1n the opposite end %see Fig. 6) and folded back upon itself as indicated in Fig. 4. Theslotted end of the band is preferably formed, as shown, with a tubular roll-edge 23 so as to obviate risk of the tongue 21 being broken when doubled upon itself tightly:

' the tubular roll 23 of one of the clips (16 direction lengthwise of the tube.

sake of rigidity, the carrier-bars 12, 13, 14 (which are spaced apart at equal angular in the example illustrated) conveniently serving, moreover, for the reception of a wire 24 which is soldered into the roll and coupled to the external electrical connection with the anode 11.. For this purpose the wire 24 'is shown is joined at 25 to a wire 26 which is led out of the bulb by being passed through and sealed at 27 into the side wall of the reentrant glass tube 17 through the boreof which tube the wire 26 extends to the outside as indicated.

A single clip might sufiice for attaching the carrier-bars 12, 13, 14 to the rentrant glass tube 17 but in order to insure steadiness it is preferred to employ two clips sideby-side as shown, so as to afford a longer bearing for the su port of the overhanging weight of the ano e; the clips being spaced apart so as to be adapted, by gripping the tube 17 at opposite sides of a slight outward rojection 28 formed thereon, to prevent isplacement of both clips in either Forthe distances around the axis of the anode 11) may be formed, throughout the greater part of their length, of substantially L- shape in cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the grid. consists of a spiral coil 29 of thin wire wound about a group of three straight parallel wires 30, 31, 32 attached respectively to, and in alinement .with,

three carrier-bars 33, 34, 35 which are riveted to a pair of metal cli s 15, 16. similar in all respects to those a ready de'wribed with reference to Fig. 1. These clips are clasped side-by-side about a reentrant glass tube-'17 which is closed at its inner 18,'into the outer end of the corresponding neck 19 of the bulb so as to constitute a hermetic closure for that end of the bulb 20; the clips 15, 16 being spaced apart and -merals denoting corresponding end and sealed by its open outer end. at

tion 28 on the tube -17 so :as to be held against displacement in either direction gthwise of said tube. In this case a wire len 36, soldered. into the roll-ed on the end of the clip 16, is joinedat 3 .to a wire 38 which isled out of the bulb by being passed through and sealed at. 39 into the closed innerend of the tube 17, through. the bore of which the wire 38 extendsto the outside as indicated. Y

Theim roved su porting means are well- 4 adapted or use at th ends of theanode, .which may thus beheld with the maximum practicable security in position within the ulb. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig.3, wherein the supporting means ateach end of the cylindrical anode 11 are shown as substantially identical with those described with reference to Fig. 1 for one end of the anode, the same reference nuparts in both figures, and at both ends of the bulb. In this case the electrical connection with the anode is shown as established by means of a wire 40, which is soldered into the rolledge 23 on the end of one of the clips 16 and led directly to the exterior of the bulb 20 through the wall of the latter, into which the wire is sealed at 41.

Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that-what I claim is 1. The combination of a'glass' bulb having arentrant glass tube eonstituting a hermetic closure for said bulb, a metal clip' said clip and at their inner ends to said electrode.

2. The combination of a glass bulb having a reentrant glass tube constituting a hermetic closure for said bulb, a metal clip embracing said reentrant tube and having a slot, a tubular roll at one end of said clip adjacent to said slot, a tongue at the other end of said clip extending through said slot and about said roll and folded back upon itself whereby said clip is detachably secured u on said rentrant tube, an electrode, an a plurality of longitudinally exends to said clip and at their innere'n'd reentrant glass tube constituting a hermetic tending carrier-bars attachedat their outer closure for said bulb, a projection extending outwardly from said rentrant tube, a 'pair' of-metal clips embracing said tube uponopposite sides of said projection, an electrode and a plurality of carrier-bars having drical anode in said ionic tube and a plutheir inner ends attached to said electrode rality of carrier-bars extending in opposite and their outer ends'attached to said clips. directions from the ends of said anode and, 10 4. The combination of an ionic tube havhaving their inner ends attached thereto 5 ing rentrant tubes at its opposite ends, and their outer ends attached to said clips.

metal clips embracing and detachably secured upon said rentrant tubes, a cylin- FREDERICK PERCY DRIVER. 

